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Virgil Van Dijk Reveals How He Broke One of Jurgen Klopps Rules Before Making Liverpool Debut

​Virgil van Dijk has admitted he unintentionally broke Jurgen Klopp's rule against touching the famous 'This is Anfield' sign before he'd played a single game for the Reds.

In 2016, the coach ordered his squad not to tap the famous sign above the tunnel until they had won silverware at the club. However, £75m arrival van Dijk was unaware of the directive after switching from Southampton in the January 2018, falling foul of Klopp as he prepared to make his debut in the Merseyside derby.

Jurgen Klopp,Virgil van Dijk

As quoted by the ​Liverpool Echo, the 28-year-old said: "I forgot to [touch it] in the opening game of [this] season, but I actually touched it in my very first game against ​Everton because I didn’t know there was a rule! After that, I heard about it. Maybe I will touch it in the future."


Though Klopp had implemented the regulation because of his own superstitions, plenty of fortune has come the club's way since van Dijk's error.


The pair helped guide the ​Reds reach two consecutive ​Champions League finals, with a 2-0 victory over ​Tottenham Hotspur in the second of those securing Liverpool a sixth European Cup.


Van Dijk has enjoyed much personal success, too, collecting both the PFA and UEFA Player of the Year awards in 2019.

They've racked up an early lead in the race for the ​Premier League title this campaign, a first English crown since 1989 now a distinct possibility for Klopp and his recruits.


Source : 90min